Steering machinery.



No. 707,382. Patented Aug. [9, I902.

' A. B. BROWN.

STEERING MACHINERY.

(Application filed Dec. 21, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Shaina-Shem 'l.

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No. 707,382. Patented Aug. l9, |9o 2 A. B. BROWN.

STEERING MACHINERY.

Application filed Dec. 21, 1901.) (N d Mflod'el.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

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PATENT ()FFICE.

ANDREW BETTS BROWN, OF EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

STEERING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 0. 707,382, dated August 19, 1902.

Application filed December 21, 1901. Serial No. 86,839. (No model.)

T etZZ 107220777 it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW'BETTS BROWN,

a subject of the King of Great Britain and;

Ireland, and a resident of Edinburgh, in the county of Mid-Lothian,Scotland,(whose postal address is Rosebank Iron Works, Edinburgh,

aforesaid,) have invented certain Improve-i This invention relates to steering machine cry to some extent of the kind described in my patent specification No. 669,230, and has for its object to improve the construction of such machinery and also to enable the mechanism used in connection with the hand steering-wheels to act as a louder or regulator when steering by steam, thereby overcoming or greatly diminishing the objectionable vibration usual with steam steering-gear.

Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings is a plan,and Fig. 2 on Sheet 2 is a sectional elevation, showing steering machinery as made according to my present invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations at right angles to each other of pump mechanism'used in connection with the hand steeringgear; and Figs. 5 and -6, Sheet 3, are respectively an end elevation and a longitudinal section,

drawn to a larger scale,of a distributing-valve forming part of such pump mechanism.

In carrying out my present. invention the rudder-head 1 has on it two separate tillering through a pinion 7 with atoothed rack 8, fixed to the deck, substantially as described in the specification hereinbefore referred to; but instead of the pinion-shaft 9 being driven as described in that specification it is connected by a bevel-wheel 10 and pinion 11 with a shaft 12, arranged radially on the tiller-arm 2, this shaft being carried in bearings inparts-13 14 on a block 15 on the pinion-shaft 9, such block swiveling on the upper surface of the carriage 6, which slides on the slotted end of the tiller-arm 2. The radial shaft12 is driven by gearing (within the casing 5 and not shown) from the motor fixed Jon the tiller-arm 2, a groove and feather or equivalent permitting of the endwise move- "ment of the shaft,so that when in action the r0- ;tation of this shaft 12 turns the bevel-gearing 1O 11 and causes the pinion 7 and traveling "carriage 6 to move along the rack 8 and carry the tiller-arm 2'over to one side or the other to actuate the rudder. The controlling-valve ,4: maybe actuated in'any suitable known manner.

It is shown in the drawings as being connected bya lever :16 and links 17 to a well-known form of'telemotor or actuating n1echanisrn 18, which can be worked from the chart-house or other convenient situation and the movement of which, acting through the lever 16 and links 17 opens the valve 4.

lic cylinders 20 21, bolted to the deck, these cylinders beingconnected through two pipes 22 23 with the casing 24 of a-distributionvalve'25, Figs. 5 and 6, worked, as hereinafter described, in connection with a threecylinderpump 26, the cylinders of which and the valve are inclosed in a casing 27 in the chart-house. The three plungers 28 have each a roller 29 on its outer end working between a loose ring 30 and an eccentric 31 on the shaft 32 of a hand steering-wheel 33, and the outer ends of the three cylinders 26 communicate each through a separate pipe 34: with a corresponding number ofports 35 in a circular valve-face 36, formed in the casing 24 of the distribution-valve 25. '--The connecting-pipes 22 23 lead one, 22, from a central port 37, communicating with the interior of the circular distribution-valve 25 to one hydraulic cylinder 20, and the other pipe 23 leads from the space outside that Valve to the other cylinder 21. The'circular ICO distribution-valve 25 is made in two parts held in place on an eccentric 38 on the handwheel shaft 32 by cup-leathers 39 and a spring 41. When the hand wheel 33 is turned, the pump-plungers 28 and distribution-valve 25 are so actuated by their respec tive eccentrics 31 38 that water is pumped in one direction or the other accordingly as the wheel is turned. In the one case the pressure is on the inside of the circular valve 25 and in the other case the pressure is on the outside. When the pressure is on the out side of the valve 25, the leather 40 prevents water outside the valve flowing to the port 37, so that it is forced through the pipe 23 to the hydraulic cylinder 21, and When on the reversal of the hand-wheel 33 the pressure is in the inside of the valve 25 the leather 39 then prevents Water passing to the outside of the valve, and it must pass by the port 37 and pipe 22 to the other cylinder 20. The spring 41 keeps the two parts of the valve 25 against their respective faces in the interior of the casing 24, while reversal of the pressure is taking place. To make up leakage, a pipe 42, fitted with a non-return valve, leads from the inside of the valve-casing 24 to the interior of the inclosing casing 27, which latter casing is filled with glycerin and water. The inner ends of the rams 43 44 of the hydraulic cylinders 20 21 are connected by a swivelblock 45 with the hand tiller-arm 3, and this arm slides in the block as it is moved over to either side by the hydraulic rams 43 44. Relief-valves 46 47, connected by a pipe 48, are fitted in connection with the hydraulic cylinders 2O 21 to let go under abnormal strain.

W'hen steering by steam, the hand-gear is shut off by stop-valves 49 50 on the pipes 22 23, connecting it with the hydraulic cylinders 20 21, and a trunnion-valve 51 on pipes 52 53, which connect the cylinders 20 21 with each other, is connected up by links 54 56 and levers 58 59 to the valve -gear of the steam steering-engine, so that the trunnionvalve 51 opens communication between the cylinders 20 21, when the tiller-arm 2 moves,

.but shuts again when the steam-valve 4 of the steering-engine is closed, thereby causing the hydraulic rams 43 44 to hold rigidly to any position they take up and act as butters, overcoming or greatly diminishing the obj ectionable vibration usual with steam steeringgear when steering on a course. The stopvalve is introduced between the pipes 52 and 53 for the purpose of shutting olf the flow of water between the cylinders 20 and 21 when steering by hand-wheel 33, as the trunnion-valve 51 may not be absolutely watertight when under pressure.

I claim as my invention- 1. Steering machinery comprisinga rudderhead, two tiller-arms, a motor on one of the arms and hydraulic rams secured to the other arm, hydraulic cylinders for the rams, said motor-arm having a slotted end, a carriage in said slotted end, a pinion and shaft carried by said carriage and a rack secured to the deck engaged by the pinion, a shaft actuated by the motor and movable radially on the tiller-arm and gearing connecting said shaft with the pinion-shaft, substantially as described.

2. Steering machinery comprising a rudderhead, two tiller-arms, a motor on one of the arms and hydraulic rams secured to the other arm, hydraulic cylinders for the rams, said motor-arm having a slotted end, a carriage in said slotted end, a pinion and shaft carried by said carriage and a rack secured to the deck engaged by the pinion, a shaft actuated by the motor and movable radially on the tiller-arm and gearing connecting said shaft with the pinion-shaft, in combination with a distribution-valve, a pump, a hand-wheel and piping connecting said valve and hydraulic cylinders, substantially as described.

3. Steering machinery comprising a rudderhead, two tiller-arms, a motor on one of the arms and hydraulic rams secured to the other .arm, hydraulic cylinders for the rams, said motor-arm having a slotted end, a carriage in said slotted end, a pinion and shaft carried by said carriage and a rack secured to the deck engaged by the pinion, a shaft actuated by the motor and movable radially on the tiller-arm and gearing connecting said shaft with the pinion-shaft, in combination with a distribution-valve, a three-cylinder pump, a hand-wheel, piping from the valve to the hydraulic cylinders, stop-valves in said pipes, a valve for the motor, piping connecting the two hydraulic cylinders, a valve in said piping and means to control both the motorvalve and the cylinder-valve together so that they open andclose simultaneously, as and for the purpose described.

4. Steering-gear,comprisingarudder-head, a rack on the deck, a tiller-arm, a motor mounted on the arm, a pinion carried by the arm and meshing with the rack and gearing between the motor and the pinion, a second tiller-arm extending from the rudder-head toward the rack but of less length than the first tiller-arm and a hand-wheel and means connecting the wheel and said second arm by which it is operated, substantially as described.

5. Steering-gear,comprisingarudder-head, a tiller-arm, a rack on the deck, a motor on the arm, a pinion on the arm meshing with the rack and gearing between the motor and pinion, a valve to control the motor, hydraulic rams and cylinders secured to the tillerarm, a valve and piping connecting the cylinders and means for operating the motorvalve and cylinder-valve, simultaneously, substantially as described.

6. Steering-gear,comprisingarudder-head, a tiller-arm, a rack on the deck, asteam-engine on said arm, a radially-movable shaft on said arm adapted to be rotated by the engine, a pinion meshing with the rack, a carriage carried by the arm and gearing between the pinion and radially-movable shaft, and a steam-valve, substantially as described.

7. Steering, machinery having a rudderhead, a tiller-arm, a swivel-block for the arm and rams secured to the block, hydraulic cylinders for the rams, a distribution-valve, pump and piping connected with the cylinders and a second tiller-arm and a motor to operate it, substantially as described.

8. Steering machinery having a rudderhead, a tiller-arm, a swivel-block for the arm, and rams secured to the block, hydraulic cy1 inders for the rams, a three-cylinder pump and a distribution-valve and piping connected with the hydraulic cylinders, a second tiller-arm and a motor to normally operate the rudder-head through such second arm, substantially as described.

9. Steam-steering machinery, com prisin g a rudder-head and a tiller-arm, a steam-engine and a Valve, two hydraulic cylinders, and

pumps to the valve and piping from the valve to the hydraulic cylinders, a hand steeringwheel, a shaft therefor, eccentrics on the shaft, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW BETTS BROWN. [L. s]

Witnesses:

GEORGE HUTTON, FREDERICK PIATT. 

